Followed your video how to replace the light switch stalk and I did something wrong

JOHN GREEN2

MEMBER

2006 MERCEDES BENZ C350

6 CYL

AWD

AUTOMATIC

150,000 MILES

I followed the video on how to replace the light switch stalk, the multi function one. The only thing I did not do was after removing the steering wheel, I could not get the electrical housing to separate from the lower section, so I simply rotated the electrical housing and unscrewed the three screws and removed it as one piece. I also did not see anything about locking the housing so it could not rotate, I may have rotated it.

Then I removed the cruise switch and removed the shield and finally the multi function switch. Put the new one on, resembled, making sure to line the steering wheel up with the notches and it felt like all connections went into place. Then I reconnected the battery and I got an ESP error.

I did a wheel lock to wheel lock, and I think one error went away but ESP error is still there and when I tried using cruise control, it says speedtronic error or malfunction, take it to service center.

The digital speed display as well as the analog dial seem to be fine, the turn signal, wiper, lights high and low are now working and the control to extend the wheel in and out for the driver works fine.

Do I need to pull and reset the steering sensor or do I just need to reset the computer?

If I need to pull and reset the steering wheel angle sensor, I will need instruction including where the little release is to separate the electrical housing from the lower case after pulling the steering wheel off.

Thanks, I really need some help on this.

John

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Sunday, September 18th, 2016 AT 6:47 PM

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

EXPERT

Based on the multiple inter-related symptoms, it sounds like the clock spring got broken. That is a wound-up ribbon cable in a plastic housing under the steering wheel. That cable is just long enough to wind up and unwind when turning the steering wheel throughout its range of travel. If it gets turned one revolution without also turning the steering shaft, it will be out-of-sync from then on. After that, when you turn fully one way, that cable will either become tight and tear off at the end, or it will unwind too far and fold over on itself. After doing that a few times it will crack and break.

Once the cable breaks, anything related to it will not work. That cable can also break just from normal use. When that happens, one system at a time is affected because not every wire in the cable breaks at the same time. The main affected circuit is the air bag in the steering wheel. The Air Bag Computer will detect the open circuit, turn the system off, and turn the warning light on to tell you. There will be a diagnostic fault code in that computer related to "Open Squib" or "Open initiator circuit".

You mentioned the cruise control. That has a circuit running through the clock spring too when its switches are on the steering wheel. You will also find the horn does not work.

When you get a new clock spring, it will come centered and locked. Some have a piece of tape through the center telling how to install it. The important thing is the steering system must be centered, not turned off-center either way. A lot of clock springs also have two little buttons sticking up that have to be pressed for the unit to be able to rotate. That insures it cannot be rotated an unknown amount by accident. Installing the steering wheel presses those locking buttons to release them.